The CW has witches, football and hot parents ... oh my!

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Tuesday

Aug 7, 2018 at 9:51 AMAug 7, 2018 at 9:51 AM

Just like its lineup, The CW’s morning at Monday’s Television Critics Association summer press tour was a lively burst of energy.There was an acapella group named Top Pop singing the critics’ praises of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a gaggle of enormously attractive parents straight from “Riverdale” and enough football talk to tide you over until the NFL season kicks off this fall.Here’s what we learned during the network’s press day.

“Riverdale” — The “Riverdale” teens stayed behind Monday so their parents could take center stage for a “Meet the Parents” panel that was just as revealing. The show is currently prepping the fourth episode of the upcoming third season, which will be called “The Midnight Club” and reveal a secret from Riverdale’s past — with the younger actors playing their onscreen parents. Madchen Amick, who plays Alice Cooper, said Lili Reinhart, who plays her daughter Betty, has been studying her time on “Twin Peaks” to best impersonate Alice. The show is also exploring the idea of a “bizarro” episode that would focus solely on the parents, with the kids on the sidelines, said executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. As for one MIA parent, the show has yet to cast the mother of Jughead (Cole Sprause), but that didn’t keep the assembled critics was asking of Neve Campbell is still a name being thrown around as a possible guest star. As of now, her “Scream” co-star Skeet Ulrich, who plays Jughead’s dad, has only sent her a text about appearing, but they haven’t spoken about it in person.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — As “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” heads into its final season (I’m not crying, you are!), it will welcome back one of its original characters — albeit with a new face. Skylar Astin has been cast as a “reimagined” Greg, originally played by Santino Fontana, who signed off at the start of season two. Co-creators Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna said the show will play with Rebecca’s (Bloom) perception of Greg because she hasn’t seen him awhile, especially as she faces a murder conviction. “It will be a great statement on how our perception of people changes,” she said.

“All American” — The network’s new drama “All American” is a mix of “The O.C.” and “Friday Nights Lights,” as it finds a Spencer (Daniel Ezra), a high school football player from South L.A., transfering to Beverly Hills to give the school’s team a leg up. But Ezra, who is British and grew up with soccer, had never played football before getting the role. To get acclimated to the sport, executive producer April Blair said he carried a football around for a month and Ezra said he did research at South Central high school games with co-star Michael Evans Behling.

“Charmed” — Much of the discussion during the “Charmed” reboot’s panel probbed how it wil relate to the original series and deal with the backlash from passionate fans and even some of the original stars (including Holly Marie Combs). The show will reap from the original’s mythology including Whitelighters, the Book of Shadows and the Power of Three, according to executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman. “But at its core, it’s a love story between three sisters,” she said. As for the criticism, the cast is aware of it but wants to look to the future and their own story. “We understand that it is such a sacred thing to the cast and the fans... But we are really excited to be telling this story at this time,” said co-star Sarah Jeffery.

“Supernatural” — The CW president Mark Pedowitz addressed the recent failed attempt to spin off “Supernatural” with “Wayward Sisters” by acknowledging the flagship series may never be more than it is now. “‘Supernatural’ may be Jensen (Ackles) and Jared (Padalacki), and there may not be a franchise beyond that,” he said. But never fear, fans. Pedowitz gave his annual reassurance that the show will continue as long as the two actors want to keep riding in the Impala.

— Reporter Hunter Ingram can be reached at 910-343-2327 or Hunter.Ingram@StarNewsOnline.com. Hunter is a member of the Television Critics Association.